Patriots cut Tim Tebow; Zoltan Mesko also released

Sunday

Sep 1, 2013 at 6:00 AMSep 1, 2013 at 5:06 PM

By Rich Garven, TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Patriots owner Robert Kraft stood in a corner of the field at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday and again proudly proclaimed his membership in the Tim Tebow fan club. "Anyone who has met him (knows) he is a very special young man," Kraft said. "I'm rooting for him big time. He's been a real joy to have around here. I see why he has such a strong national following — he's just a great, great young man."

But while Kraft was hopeful Tebow would be among the 53 players retained by the Patriots following league-mandated roster cuts Saturday evening, he made it clear that decision would ultimately be made by Bill Belichick and his staff. And whatever the verdict turned out to be, the owner would be willing accept it.

"I think you want to make sure we have the 53 best people to help us win games during this year," Kraft explained. "I'm rooting for him, and I'm in his corner, but I have the privilege of letting Bill make those decisions. He's got a pretty good record doing that."

So it was Belichick who supplied the answer to one of the most asked questions in the NFL this summer. And, barring a change of heart, it turns out Tebow will not be spending the upcoming season as a member of the Patriots.

The popular and polarizing quarterback was one of 13 players released by the team Saturday. Tebow was far and away the most recognizable name among those let go, although should he have retained residency in Foxboro, his impact likely would have been nominal as he was slated to be the backup to the backup to starter-for-life Tom Brady.

In addition, they placed veteran safety Adrian Wilson on injured reserve. That leaves the roster at 51 players, meaning the Patriots have two open spots, both of which figure to be filled in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Kanorris Davis, Forston, McDonald, Sims and Winn are among those eligible to rejoin the Patriots on the eight-man practice squad, which can begin being compiled today.

All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski ended up on the active roster, a sure sign the Patriots expect him to return sooner rather than later from offseason back surgery. The alternative was to place Gronkowski, who has yet to practice with his teammates this summer, on the physically unable to perform list, meaning he would miss at least the first six games.

Gronkowski is not expected to play in the first two games, against the Bills in Buffalo on Sept. 8 and home against the Jets four days later, but there appears to be a realistic chance he could make his 2013 debut in Week 3. That's a home game against Tampa Bay on Sept 22.

All those moves were overshadowed by the departure of Tebow, whose tenure as a Patriot lasted 82 days. He said all the right things during his time with the Patriots and made a positive impression on the players and coaches.

"He's great to work with, outstanding," Belichick said last week. "(He's) smart, works hard; football is important to him."

But in the end, and more importantly, Tebow failed to do enough things in the right fashion to ensure an extended stay.

The lasting memory of Tebow's brief time in New England is undoubtedly the 9-yard TD pass he threw to Sims with 6 seconds remaining in the Patriots' 28-20 win over the Giants on Thursday in the preseason finale at Gillette Stadium.

That was one of high few highlights during a preseason in which he played extensively in three of the four games.

Tebow completed 11 of 30 passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns while getting intercepted twice and sacked a whopping seven times. That ridiculously high sack total was a sure sign of indecisiveness, which was especially glaring considering the one-time starter in Denver was mainly playing against second-, third- and fourth-string competition that were utilizing vanilla defenses.

Tebow's passer rating of 47.2 checked in 81st out of the 83 NFL quarterbacks who attempted at least 29 passes in the preseason.

He was his typically effective self as a runner, gaining 91 yards on 16 carries for a healthy average of 5.7 yards.

The Patriots signed Tebow to a two-year, $1.385 million contract June 11 that had no monetary guarantees, so cutting him won't cost them a cent.

While many felt this was Tebow's last chance at remaining in the NFL — the Patriots were the only team to show any interest in him after he was released by the Jets in April — there are already rumblings he could land in Buffalo. The Bills are desperate for quarterback help after being decimated by injuries at the position.

The fact they open the season against the Patriots could also be a factor in bringing Tebow aboard as it would give them an opportunity to pick his brain about the offense he spent the last two-plus months digesting.

Barring an unexpected addition, the Patriots will enter the season with two quarterbacks for the fourth time in five years. It's the status quo with Brady entrenched as the starter and fourth-year pro Ryan Mallett serving as the lone backup for the third straight season.

Mesko arguably was the most surprising cut.

He had punted for the Patriots since they drafted him in the fifth round in 2010, and his career average of 44.2 yards ranks second in franchise history. However, he was a so-so performer last season, which led to the signing of rookie Ryan Allen to provide camp competition.

It appeared Mesko had held off a strong challenge from Allen, a two-time winner of the Ray Guy Award as the nation's premier collegiate punter while at Louisiana Tech, to retain his job. But that wasn't the case.

Money may have been a factor. Mesko was due to make $1.37 million this season, the last of his four-year rookie deal. Allen is signed for three years at a total of $1.49 million.

Cunningham's departure comes after three disappointing seasons in which the 2010 second-round pick, who was drafted in hopes he'd bolster the pass rush, totaled 3.5 sacks in 36 games. He served a four-game suspension last season for violating league policy on the use of performance-enhancing substances and spent much of training camp and the preseason this year sidelined with an injury.